Online Banking and Data Security begins with YOU!

The Internet offers the potential for safe, convenient ways to shop and conduct banking  banking business, any day, any time. However, safe banking online involves making good choices – decisions that will help you avoid costly surprises or even scams.

Whether you are a Personal Online Banking user or a Commercial Online Banking & Cash Management user, true online banking security requires the efforts of the end users. Please click on the applicable security bulletin link to read about steps you should be taking to ensure your information and financial security.	Check out our latest Information & Data Security Brochure with helpful tips, hints and do's and dont's for keeping your information secure online!	Download a helpful brochure for protecting yourself from ID Theft!

PLEASE NOTE: Midland National Bank will never request private or confidential information or ask you to verify such information through email. Please report such requests to the bank or to local law enforcement authorities.

• Don't Get “Phished”
• Be Wary of "Urgent" messages
• Protect Your Account Information
• Protect Your Identity
• Smartphone Security
• What To Do If You Fall Victim To Identity Theft
• Additional Information About Reporting Fraud Or Filing A Complaint 

Don't Get "Phished"!

Have you received e-mail with a similar message to these?

“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.”

or...

“During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn’t verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information.”

It’s a scam called “phishing”—and it involves Internet fraudsters who send spam or pop-up messages to lure personal information (credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information) from unsuspecting victims.  Read about phishing scams and how to protect yourself.

Be Wary of "Urgent" Text Messages

A new scam involves a text message sent to cellphones and smartphones warning bank customers that their debit card or credit card has been blocked for security reasons. The message urges users to call a 'hotline" to unblock their card, but instead they reach an automated response system asking for the card number, PIN and other information.

Always stop and think before giving personal information in response to an unsolicited request, especially ones marked as "urgent", no matter who the source supposedly is. Always communicate with your bank using telephone numbers or e-mail addresses you are certain about. Midland National Bank will never ask you to provide PIN numbers or other private information via e-mail or text.

If you provide the requested information, you may find yourself a victim of identity theft.

Like many other scams, phishing preys upon the unwary. Here are a few tips that will help you fight back against this form of electronic fraud.

• Never respond to an unsolicited e-mail asking you for financial information or account numbers. Always know whom you are dealing with.
• Report anything suspicious to your bank and/or to law enforcement authorities. In addition, alert the agency identified in the suspect e-mail using a telephone number or e-mail address that you know is legitimate.

The Department of Justice advises e-mail users to “stop, look and call” if they receive a suspicious e-mail.

• STOP : Resist the urge to immediately respond to a suspicious e-mail – and to provide the information requested – despite urgent or exaggerated claims.
• LOOK : Read the text of the e-mail several times and ask yourself why the information being requested would really be needed.
• CALL : If you have any doubt about the legitimacy of an e-mail, contact the organization identified, using a name and number that you know to be legitimate.

If you think you have been “phished” immediately contact your financial institution as well as the three major credit bureaus and ask that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. Contact information for the credit bureaus is shown above

Protect Your Account Information

Please keep these tips in mind for managing your accounts and safeguarding your funds from unauthorized transfers by criminals. Criminals may use a consumer's account information to create a demand draft (sometimes called a "remotely created check") drawn on the consumer's account, or to make an electronic transfer from the consumer's account.

Here are some effective ways to protect yourself:

1. Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or on the Internet. E-mails and Internet pages created by phishers may look exactly like the real thing. They may even have a fake padlock icon that ordinarily is used to denote a secure site. If you did not initiate the communication, do not provide any information.
2. If you are unsure whether a contact is legitimate, contact the financial institution. You can find phone numbers and Websites on the monthly statements you receive from your financial institution, or you can look up the company in a phone book or on the Internet. The key is that you should be the one to initiate the contact, using information that you have verified yourself.
3. Never provide your account information and/or password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited Internet request. A financial institution would never ask you to verify your account information or confirm a password online. Thieves armed with this information and your account number can help themselves to your money.
4. Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving or does not arrive, call your financial institution to find out why. If your financial institution offers electronic account access, check your account activity online regularly to catch suspicious activity.

Protect Your Identity

Over 27 million Americans have experienced identity theft and the incident rate continues to increase every year. Substantial security measures have been put in place at Midland National Bank to protect your identity and your accounts against theft and fraud. For example, our Privacy Policy protects your personal and financial information. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for your online transactions helps to assure online security. When you use our online services, you will select a unique ICON and create a secret password that only you know. Additionally, encryption software "scrambles" the data that is transmitted back and forth between Midland and our online customers. This data "scrambling" protects account information so it cannot be intercepted and read by an unauthorized third party.

With all the abovementioned security measures in place, maximum security is possible only with your help. Below are a few tips to you help reduce the threat of identity theft:

• Do not give out financial information such as checking and credit card numbers, or your Social Security number, unless you know the person or organization.
• Report lost or stolen checks immediately.
• Notify us immediately of suspicious telephone inquiries such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or to "award a prize".
• Closely guard your Debit Card or ATM card, personal identification number (PIN), and receipts. NEVER WRITE YOUR "PIN" ON YOUR ATM or DEBIT CARD!
• Shred any financial solicitations (e.g. credit card mailings) and bank statements before disposing of them. Midland National Bank periodically offers free shredding service. Watch for information about these events!
• Put outgoing mail into a secure, official U.S. Postal Service collection box.
• If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why. It's possible someone has fraudulently changed your mailing address.
• If your bills include questionable items, don't ignore them. Instead, investigate immediately to head off any possible fraud.
• Periodically contact the major credit reporting companies to review your file and make certain the information is correct.

Be Aware of Smartphone Security Threats

Just about everyone has a smartphone.  The exploding popularity of these devices, along with the constant release of new models and features makes them exciting and useful, both to users…and to the bad guys.  Three threats to be aware of:

Malicious Apps

By far the most popular smartphones are either iPhone or Google Android based devices.  Both of these vendors offer marketplaces to go download and purchase new apps or programs for the phone.  This makes it possible to extend and add new games and functionality to the phone without ever having to touch a PC.  However, what many people don’t realize is that it is fairly easy for hackers to pose as a software company and make apps available on these marketplaces that look just like the other legitimate apps.  Just because it is on the marketplace doesn’t mean it is necessarily safe.  Take a close look at who is offering it, and beware of “free” versions of apps you normally have to pay for.  Malicious apps can take over your phone, steal your data, or send text messages to “premium service” numbers, which automatically adds charges to your monthly bill.

App Permissions

Most smartphones have permission systems that allow you to control what an app can access and do on your phone.  Whenever you download a new app, don’t just hit “accept” when it is asking for permissions.  Have a look at what it is asking for access to.  Even legitimate free apps often pay for themselves by pillaging your phone for information they can sell to marketers.  Chances are that free poker game isn’t asking for access to your GPS location, contact list, and browsing history just to let you play a game of cards.

QR Codes

QR Codes are those little square barcodes you can find just about anywhere from magazines to product packaging to store ads.  Many phones allow you to snap a picture of these codes to be taken to a website displaying information about whatever you are looking at.  Just remember that while  these can save you time and can be handy, it is the equivalent to clicking a link to a website and having no idea where you are going.  It could open your browser to information about that new movie, or it could be taking you to a malicious website trying to install malware on your phone.  Your best bet is always to just go to the proper website yourself, that way you know for sure what site you will be pulling up.

Hackers want access to your information and your money, so whether it is a desktop, laptop or smartphone, if it can give them what they need, they will be trying to get on it.  So when the bad guys want on your smartphone, there is probably an app for that too.

What to do if you fall victim to Identity Theft

• Contact us immediately and alert us to the situation (316-283-1700 or custserv@midlandnb.com)
• Close your accounts you think may have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Call the security or fraud department of each associated company or financial institution. Follow up in writing and supply copies of supporting documents.
• It is important to notify credit card companies and financial institutions in writing. Send your letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document when and what the company has received. Keep copies of all correspondence and enclosures for your records.
• Report all suspicious contacts to the Federal Trade Commission through the internet at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)

Additional Information & Resources

The internet is a great tool for information and for conducting online business, as long as consumers take the appropriate. The consumer information links below can assist consumers in locating information and providing guidance on how to file complaints when appropriate.

• OnGuardOnline (www.onguardonline.gov)
  The federal government's website to help you be safe, secure and responsible online
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center (www.ftc.gov)
  You may file a complain with the FTC against a company or organization that you believe has cheated you by contacting the Consumer Response Center by telephone: 877-FTC-HELP
• FirstGov (Your First Click to the U.S. Government) (www.firstgov.gov)
  “FirstGov” is a free-access website designed to give a centralized place to find information from local, state, and U.S. Government Agency website. Consumers may call the toll-free number at 800-FED-INFO.
• Consumer.gov (www.consumer.gov)
  “Consumer.gov” is a one-stop link to a broad range of federal information resources available online.
• Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov)
  Call to report fraud: 800-269-0271
• Identity Theft Resource Center (www.idtheftcenter.org)
  Call to report ID theft: 858-693-7935